Ask ten Torontonians where to get Indian food and you will get ten different answers, and most of them will involve getting out of downtown. The Greater Toronto Area has a large South Asian population, and its food has spread far beyond the old Little India strip on Gerrard Street East: a Michelin-praised braised beef short rib in Leaside, refined chaat in Kensington Market, Goan cooking on Toronto Street downtown, and — in the strip malls of Scarborough — the fiery Indian-Chinese cooking that Toronto has made its own. Finding the best Indian restaurants Toronto has to offer means knowing which of those you are hungry for, and how much of the old Little India strip is left.
This page covers the Michelin-recognised Indian restaurants, the Gerrard India Bazaar and how to visit it well, the neighbourhood favourites, Toronto’s Hakka scene, where to go for South Indian and vegetarian food, and how to order across the regions. Restaurant details were checked in October 2026, including the 2026 Michelin Guide for Toronto and Region. Prices are in Canadian dollars; treat any figure as the right order of magnitude and check the restaurant before you go, because restaurant listings in this part of the food scene go out of date faster than most.
Toronto’s Best Indian Restaurants at a Glance
| If you want… | Go to | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian street food and regional curries the Michelin inspectors rate | Indian Street Food Company | Bayview Ave, Leaside | 2026 Bib Gourmand |
| Refined chaat, claypots and paneer in a small room | The Cottage Cheese | Kensington Market | 2026 Bib Gourmand |
| Goan cooking near the Financial District | Bar Goa | Toronto St, Old Town | Michelin recommended |
| Contemporary Indian-British in a hotel | PUNCH | Le Germain Mercer, Entertainment District | New, Michelin recommended |
| A dependable neighbourhood curry house | Banjara | Bloor St W | On Bloor West since 2000 |
| Dosa and thali, all vegetarian | Udupi Palace | Gerrard India Bazaar | South Indian classic |
| A modern Indian food bar | Leela Indian Food Bar | Gerrard St E and Dundas St W | Two neighbourhoods |
| Indian-Chinese Hakka | Federick and others | Scarborough | Toronto’s most distinctive cuisine |
For a sense of prices, Banjara’s menu lists palak paneer at $16.99, butter chicken at $20.99 and lamb rogan josh at $22.99; drinks and a tip come on top. See our Toronto tipping guide.
Understanding Indian Food in Toronto
“Indian food” in Toronto is really many cuisines, shaped by communities that arrived from different parts of South Asia, the Caribbean and East Africa. Knowing the main strands helps you choose a restaurant and read its menu.
North Indian and Punjabi
The style most visitors know: tandoori meats, butter chicken, dal makhani, saag paneer, naan and paratha. Much of the GTA’s Punjabi community lives in Brampton and Mississauga, and that is where the most serious Punjabi cooking is. Downtown, it is the backbone of the neighbourhood curry house.
South Indian
Rice-and-lentil cooking from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh: crisp dosas, fluffy idli, vada, sambar and coconut chutney, often entirely vegetarian. Toronto also has a large Sri Lankan Tamil community, centred in Scarborough, whose kothu roti and hoppers are close cousins.
Goan, Bengali and the coastal cuisines
Goan food, with its Portuguese influences — vindaloo in its original sour, vinegar-sharp form, coconut-rich xacuti, seafood curries — is less common in Toronto but well represented at Bar Goa. Bengali and Bangladeshi cooking, with mustard oil, fish and sweets, centres on the stretch of Danforth Avenue around Victoria Park Avenue that is known as Little Bangladesh.
Pakistani
Gerrard Street’s bazaar is as much Little Pakistan as Little India, and Pakistani cooking — karahi, nihari, haleem, seekh kebabs and halal grills — is a big part of the city’s South Asian food. Many Pakistani and North Indian restaurants are halal; if it matters to you, ask.
Indo-Caribbean
Toronto’s large Trinidadian and Guyanese communities brought their own Indian-descended food: roti wrapped around curried goat, chicken or potato, doubles, and pepper sauce that will test anyone. Roti shops are scattered across the city, and the butter chicken roti — long associated with a counter on Queen Street West — is a famous Toronto hybrid of the two traditions.
Indian-Chinese (Hakka)
The most distinctive strand of all, and the one visitors most often miss. It has its own section below.
The Michelin-Recognised Indian Restaurants
In the 2026 Michelin Guide for Toronto and Region, Indian Street Food Company and The Cottage Cheese each hold a Bib Gourmand — the award for very good food at moderate prices — and the inspectors recommend several other Indian restaurants, among them PUNCH, Bar Goa, Aanch and Adrak Yorkville. None held a star in the 2026 selection, but the Bib Gourmands in particular are excellent value. Our guide to Michelin restaurants in Toronto covers the full list.
Indian Street Food Company
A Leaside stalwart at 1701 Bayview Avenue, Indian Street Food Company keeps a tight menu of Indian street snacks and regional curries, and Michelin’s inspectors name the braised beef short rib as the dish to order — a reminder that Indian cooking is not all chicken and paneer. Verdict: among the most acclaimed Indian cooking in the city, in a neighbourhood few visitors see. Worth the trip.
The Cottage Cheese
The Cottage Cheese, at 64 Oxford Street in Kensington Market, is a sunny little room named after its owner’s favourite food — paneer, the fresh cheese that turns up across Indian menus. Michelin describes the cooking as refined takes on chaats, claypots and curries. It is small, so book or arrive early. Because it is in the market, it pairs naturally with an afternoon wandering the streets covered in our Kensington Market guide. Verdict: the most central of the city’s Michelin-recognised Indian kitchens, and the best place to try chaat done with care.
Bar Goa
Bar Goa, at 36 Toronto Street, cooks the food of India’s west coast: Goan curries, seafood and the vinegar-and-chilli flavours that Portuguese colonists left behind. It is recommended in the 2026 Michelin Guide, and its downtown address suits anyone staying in the core. Verdict: a good choice for a business dinner or a pre-theatre meal, and a rare chance to eat Goan food done properly.
PUNCH
PUNCH is a new addition to the guide’s recommended list, inside Le Germain Hotel Mercer in the Entertainment District, and it blends contemporary Indian and British cooking. It is the newest name on this list, so expect the menu to evolve. Verdict: convenient before a show or a game, and one to watch; if you want a traditional Indian meal, choose one of the others.
Gerrard India Bazaar: Little India
The Gerrard India Bazaar runs along Gerrard Street East between roughly Greenwood and Coxwell Avenues, in the east end just north of Leslieville. It has been Toronto’s best-known South Asian shopping street since the 1970s, with sari and fabric shops, jewellers, grocers, paan shops, sweet shops and restaurants. Most people simply call it Little India — or Little India and Little Pakistan, since the strip has long served both communities. The 506 Carlton streetcar normally runs right along it; construction sometimes diverts the route or swaps in replacement buses, so look at the TTC’s service alerts before you set out.
The honest picture
The bazaar is not what it was at its peak. Much of Toronto’s South Asian community has moved to Brampton, Mississauga and Scarborough, and the restaurants have thinned out. The most famous name of all, Lahore Tikka House, is open again at 1365 Gerrard Street East. Go to Gerrard for the atmosphere, the shopping and a good South Indian meal, but do not expect it to represent the best Indian food in the region; that is now spread across the city and the suburbs.
Where to eat on Gerrard
- Udupi Palace — a vegetarian South Indian restaurant known for reliably good dosas and thalis. The obvious first stop, and the most consistent restaurant on the strip.
- Leela Indian Food Bar — a modern Indian food bar with a branch on Gerrard and another on Dundas Street West.
- The Famous Indian Cuisine — one of the longer-running restaurants still trading on the strip.
- Sweet shops and paan shops — wander in for mithai (Indian sweets) and paan, the betel-leaf after-dinner digestive.
Taking a food tour
If you would rather have a guide, Culinary Adventure Co. runs a Little India and Gerrard East food tour on Saturdays at 11am, about two and a half hours, at $119 for adults and $114 for seniors (60+) and children aged 6–12. It is a good way to taste a range of dishes and learn the street’s history in one go; our guide to the best food tours in Toronto compares it with the city’s other options.
Getting there
The 506 Carlton streetcar normally runs east along College, Carlton and Gerrard streets, although construction on College and Carlton can put it on a diversion. The other way in is Line 2 to Coxwell station, then a walk or a short bus ride south. The bazaar sits a short walk north of the shops and cafés of Queen Street East in Leslieville, which our Leslieville and the Beaches guide covers, so the two combine into an easy afternoon.
Neighbourhood Favourites
Banjara
Banjara Indian Cuisine, at 796 Bloor Street West on the edge of Koreatown and the Annex, has served Indian food here since 2000 and is the kind of neighbourhood curry house every city needs: a long North Indian menu and generous portions. It is relaxed with children and has room for strollers. Palak paneer is $16.99 on the menu, butter chicken $20.99 and lamb rogan josh $22.99. Verdict: not a destination restaurant, but a very dependable one, and a good introduction to North Indian food.
Leela Indian Food Bar
Leela has two locations — on Dundas Street West in the west end and on Gerrard Street East in the bazaar — and takes a more modern, food-bar approach than the old-school curry houses. The Dundas West branch is the easier one to combine with a night out in the west end’s bars. Verdict: a good middle ground between a traditional curry house and the Michelin-recognised kitchens.
Indian-Chinese: Toronto’s Hakka Scene
Here is the one most visitors never hear about. In Toronto, “Hakka” food usually means Indian-Chinese cooking, developed by the Hakka Chinese community in Kolkata and brought to Toronto by immigrants from India. Think chilli chicken, Manchurian dishes, hot garlic sauce, masala fried rice and “Hakka noodles”: spicy, saucy, deeply satisfying food. Many of the city’s Hakka restaurants are in Scarborough, often in strip malls, and they are famous for huge portions at low prices.
Names that keep coming up in 2026 include:
- Federick — famous for huge portions, low prices and consistently good food.
- Hakka Legend, Wong’s Asian Cuisine and Hakka Bistro — all highly rated for generous portions and dependable flavour.
Order a dry chilli chicken, a Manchurian (vegetable or chicken), hot garlic noodles and a plate of masala fried rice to share, and specify your heat level — “medium” at a Hakka restaurant is hotter than medium almost anywhere else. Verdict: if you have a car or a free evening, a Hakka dinner in Scarborough is one of the most distinctive meals in the Toronto area. Our guide to Toronto’s multicultural food has more on the city’s food communities.
Vegetarian Indian Food
Indian food is the easiest cuisine in the world to eat well as a vegetarian, and Toronto is no exception. Udupi Palace on Gerrard is entirely vegetarian, and South Indian food in general — dosas, idli, uttapam, sambar, chutneys — is largely meat-free. The Cottage Cheese builds much of its menu around paneer. At any North Indian restaurant, the vegetarian section of the menu — chana masala, dal, saag paneer, aloo gobi, baingan bharta — is usually as long as the meat section.
Vegans have to be a little more careful, because ghee (clarified butter), cream, yogurt and paneer turn up in many North Indian dishes. South Indian restaurants are the safest bet; elsewhere, ask whether a dish is made with oil or ghee, and whether the dal has cream in it.
How to Order Indian Food Like a Regular
- Share everything. Order a few curries, a dal, a vegetable dish, rice and bread for the table rather than one main each.
- Balance the textures. One rich, creamy dish (butter chicken, korma, makhani), one dry or tandoori dish, one dal, and something sharp or fresh — raita, pickle, kachumber salad.
- Get the bread right. Naan comes from the tandoor; roti and chapati are simpler whole-wheat flatbreads; paratha is layered and flaky. Garlic naan is popular for a reason.
- Be specific about heat. Many restaurants will cook to mild, medium or hot. Start at medium if you are unsure; you can always add pickle or chilli.
- Look beyond butter chicken. It is a great dish, but Toronto’s best Indian kitchens are proudest of their regional specialities — a Goan curry, a South Indian thali, a Kerala-style beef dish, a Pakistani nihari.
- Finish properly. Gulab jamun, rasmalai, kulfi and a masala chai or a mango lassi are part of the meal.
A Glossary for Toronto’s Indian Menus
Menus in Toronto mix Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil and English, often on the same page. These are the dishes you will see most, and what you are actually ordering.
| Dish | What it is | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Butter chicken (murgh makhani) | Tandoori chicken in a mild, buttery tomato and cream sauce | Delhi, Punjabi kitchens |
| Dal makhani | Black lentils and kidney beans slow-cooked with butter and cream | Punjab |
| Saag or palak paneer | Fresh cheese in a spiced spinach or mustard-greens purée | North India |
| Chana masala | Chickpeas in a tangy tomato-onion masala; often vegan | North India |
| Biryani | Layered, spiced rice cooked with meat or vegetables | Hyderabad, Lucknow, Karachi and beyond |
| Vindaloo | A sour, vinegar-based curry, properly hot; originally pork | Goa |
| Karahi | Meat cooked fast in a wok-like pan with tomato, ginger and chilli | Pakistan and Punjab |
| Nihari | Slow-cooked beef or lamb shank stew, traditionally eaten at breakfast | Delhi and Karachi |
| Dosa | A thin, crisp fermented rice-and-lentil crêpe, often filled with spiced potato (masala dosa) | South India |
| Idli and vada | Steamed rice cakes and savoury lentil doughnuts, served with sambar and chutney | South India |
| Chaat | Tangy, crunchy street snacks — pani puri, bhel puri, papdi chaat | Street stalls across India |
| Kothu roti | Chopped flatbread stir-fried with egg, vegetables and curry on a griddle | Sri Lanka |
| Gulab jamun and rasmalai | Syrup-soaked milk dumplings; soft cheese patties in sweetened milk | North India and Bengal |
| Lassi and masala chai | A yogurt drink, sweet, salted or mango; spiced milky tea | Across South Asia |
An Indian Food Day in Toronto
If you have a day to give to it, this plan covers the city’s main Indian food areas without too much travel.
- Late morning in the bazaar. Take the 506 Carlton (a streetcar, or a replacement bus during diversions) to the Gerrard India Bazaar and wander the sari shops, grocers and sweet shops before the lunch crowd arrives.
- Lunch at Udupi Palace. A masala dosa or a thali is the classic order, and it is all vegetarian.
- An afternoon in Leslieville. Walk south to Queen Street East for coffee, shops and, if the weather is good, a walk down to the lake at the Beaches.
- Dinner downtown or in the west end. Bar Goa on Toronto Street for Goan cooking, or The Cottage Cheese in Kensington Market for chaat and claypots. Book either one ahead.
- Or go big in Scarborough. If you have a car and an appetite, swap dinner for a Hakka feast — chilli chicken, Manchurian and hot garlic noodles for the table.
Diwali in Toronto
Diwali, the festival of lights, falls in October or November depending on the lunar calendar, and it is a big season for the city’s sweet shops. On Gerrard Street and across Brampton and Mississauga, boxes of mithai fly out of the door in the days before the festival, and many restaurants run special menus. If you are visiting around Diwali, it is a wonderful time to explore Toronto’s South Asian neighbourhoods — just expect queues at the best sweet counters.
Indian Food Beyond Downtown
The biggest secret of Indian food in Toronto is that the best of it is not downtown. Large South Asian communities live in Brampton and Mississauga, and that is where you will find serious Punjabi cooking, busy sweet shops and restaurants that cater to their own communities rather than to visitors. Malton, a Mississauga neighbourhood right beside Pearson Airport, is a particularly convenient detour if you have time before a flight; our Pearson Airport guide explains the airport’s layout and transport.
Scarborough is the other big destination: Hakka restaurants, Sri Lankan Tamil cooking and plenty of South Indian vegetarian places. Both trips are much easier by car than by transit, which is worth knowing before you set out.
Indian Restaurants by Neighbourhood
- Downtown and the Old Town: Bar Goa on Toronto Street; PUNCH in the Entertainment District.
- Kensington Market: The Cottage Cheese.
- Bloor West and Koreatown: Banjara.
- Dundas West: Leela Indian Food Bar.
- East end: the Gerrard India Bazaar — Udupi Palace, Leela, sweet shops and grocers.
- Danforth East: Little Bangladesh, around Danforth and Victoria Park.
- Leaside: Indian Street Food Company on Bayview.
- Scarborough: Hakka and Sri Lankan Tamil restaurants.
- Brampton and Mississauga: Punjabi and other South Asian cooking, beyond the city limits.
What Indian Food Costs in Toronto
Indian food is one of the better-value cuisines in Toronto. At a neighbourhood curry house such as Banjara, butter chicken is $20.99 and palak paneer $16.99; the Michelin Bib Gourmands are, by definition, moderately priced for the quality; and the Hakka restaurants of Scarborough are known for huge portions at low prices. Sharing several dishes is usually cheaper than ordering a main each.
As always in Toronto, the menu price is not the final bill: 13% HST applies to taxable restaurant purchases, and diners at sit-down restaurants usually leave a tip on top. For more cheap eats across the city, including roti and South Asian snacks, see our cheap eats in Toronto guide.
Which Indian Restaurant Should You Choose?
- The best Indian cooking in the city: Indian Street Food Company in Leaside.
- Something central and refined: The Cottage Cheese in Kensington Market.
- A downtown business dinner: Bar Goa.
- A first taste of Little India: Udupi Palace on Gerrard, then a wander through the bazaar.
- A family meal: Banjara on Bloor West.
- Something you cannot get at home: Hakka in Scarborough.
- The most authentic Punjabi food: Brampton or Malton, by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Indian restaurant in Toronto?
The 2026 Michelin Guide gives Bib Gourmands to Indian Street Food Company on Bayview Avenue and The Cottage Cheese in Kensington Market, and those are the strongest picks for cooking quality. Bar Goa is the best Michelin-recommended option downtown, and Banjara on Bloor West has served Indian food since 2000 and is a dependable neighbourhood favourite.
Where is Little India in Toronto?
Toronto’s Little India is the Gerrard India Bazaar, on Gerrard Street East between roughly Greenwood and Coxwell Avenues in the east end. The 506 Carlton normally runs along it, by streetcar unless a diversion puts replacement buses on the route. It has sari shops, grocers, sweet shops and restaurants, including the vegetarian Udupi Palace.
Which Indian restaurants in Toronto are in the Michelin Guide?
In the 2026 Michelin Guide for Toronto and Region, Indian Street Food Company and The Cottage Cheese hold Bib Gourmands, and Bar Goa and the new PUNCH, at Le Germain Hotel Mercer, are recommended. None of the city’s Indian restaurants held a Michelin star in the 2026 selection.
What is Hakka food in Toronto?
In Toronto, Hakka usually means Indian-Chinese food, created by the Hakka Chinese community in Kolkata: chilli chicken, Manchurian dishes, hot garlic sauce and Hakka noodles, often very spicy. Scarborough has many Hakka restaurants, among them Federick at 1920 Ellesmere Road.
Is Lahore Tikka House still open?
Yes. Lahore Tikka House, long the best-known restaurant in the Gerrard India Bazaar, is open again at 1365 Gerrard Street East. Udupi Palace and Leela Indian Food Bar are good alternatives on the same street.
Where can I find vegetarian Indian food in Toronto?
Udupi Palace on Gerrard Street East is entirely vegetarian and specialises in South Indian dosas and thalis. The Cottage Cheese in Kensington Market builds much of its menu around paneer, and every North Indian restaurant has a long vegetarian section. Vegans should ask about ghee, cream and yogurt.
Is Indian food in Toronto spicy?
It can be, but most restaurants will adjust the heat if you ask. Order mild or medium if you are unsure. Hakka restaurants and some Pakistani grills run hotter than average, so be specific when you order there.
Related Toronto Guides
- Toronto’s multicultural food
- Michelin restaurants in Toronto
- Best food tours in Toronto
- Cheap eats in Toronto
- Kensington Market guide
- Leslieville and the Beaches
- Best restaurants in Toronto
- Toronto food guide
Photo Credits
Storefronts in the Gerrard India Bazaar: Gerrard Street, Toronto by SimonP, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Masala dosa with vada: Masala Dosa and Vada by Gannu03, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Chilli chicken in Kolkata: Chilli Chicken – NUJS – Kolkata 20170806133332 by Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Varutharacha curry at Benares Cucina Indian: Varutharacha curry, Benares Cucina Indian, Toronto, Ontario, 2025-08-25 01 by Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
